Rochester city councilmembers urge mayor to halt property reassessment process
Rochester, New York – In Rochester, a significant controversy has emerged over the city’s latest property assessments, with many residents experiencing shock at the substantial increases.
A group of Rochester City Council members, including Willie Lightfoot, Mary Lupien, Stanley Martin, and Kim Smith, have taken action against what they perceive as excessively high property reassessments. They have formally reached out to Rochester Mayor Malik Evans with a request to temporarily stop the ongoing assessment process. They argue that a pause is necessary to allow the currently unstable real estate market, marked by high costs and rising interest rates, to stabilize.
The city has noted a considerable rise in the average sales price of single-family homes, from $90,000 to $150,000 annually. It also highlighted that individuals on a fixed income have the option to seek financial relief through the New York State Real Property Tax Exemption.
In response to the council members’ concerns, Mayor Evans expressed understanding but disagreed with the proposed delay in the reassessment process. He warned that postponing the quadrennial reassessment could lead to adverse outcomes, including the potential to overlook current market values. This oversight, according to Evans, could unfairly impact homeowners who might benefit from a tax reduction and inadvertently shift the tax burden onto other homeowners.
